Florida agrees to terms with three

Florida Panthers Executive Vice President and General Manager Dale Tallon announced today that the club has agreed to terms with defenseman Alex Petrovic on a two-year contract.

“We are very pleased to have re-signed Alex,” said Tallon. “Alex is a strong, physical defenseman who possesses great size and strength. He took great strides last season, logging valuable minutes for the Panthers. He was one of the Rampage’s top players and was named an American Hockey League All-Star. He is another building block for our team’s future.”

Petrovic, 23, played in 33 games for Florida last season, recording three assists, 34 PIM and 76 hits. Along with his time in Florida during 2014-15, Petrovic played 41 regular season games for the San Antonio Rampage, recording 20 points (3-17—20) and 59 PIM. In the postseason for San Antonio, Petrovic played three playoff games, recording one assist.

The six-foot-four, 206-pound defenseman made his first AHL All-Star appearance at the 2015 AHL All-Star Classic in Utica, N.Y., where he recorded two assists.

The Edmonton, Alta. native was selected by Florida in the second round (36th overall) of the 2010 National Hockey League Draft. Petrovic has played in 144 regular season AHL games, all with San Antonio, recording 51 points (9-43—51) and 240 PIM. In 12 AHL playoff games, Petrovic has recorded seven points (2-5—7) and 14 PIM. Petrovic has played in 46 NHL games, recording four assists, 67 PIM and 110 hits.

In addition, the club announced today that left wing Quinton Howden and right wing John McFarland have agreed to terms on one-year, two-way contracts.

“We are very pleased to have re-signed Quinton and John,” said Tallon. “Both Quinton and John are Panthers’ draft picks who will continue to grow and develop within our organization.”

Howden, 23, recorded 18 points (3-15—18), 16 PIM and a +14 rating in 33 regular season American Hockey League games with the San Antonio Rampage during the 2014-15 season. In the postseason, Howden recorded one assist and two PIM in three playoff games. In 149 career regular season AHL games, all with San Antonio, Howden has recorded 75 points (26-49—75).

Last season, Howden was named San Antonio’s 2014-15 IOA/American Specialty AHL Man of the Year for his contributions to the San Antonio community. Howden was heavily involved in the Rampage’s Team Up Challenge in local schools as well as visits to various veterans communities.

The Winnipeg, Man. native was selected by Florida in the first round (25th overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft. Howden has appeared in 34 NHL games, all with Florida, recording four goals, two assists and ten PIM.

McFarland, 23, played in 46 games for San Antonio during the 2014-15 season, recording ten goals, nine assists and eight PIM. In the postseason, McFarland recorded one goal in three playoff games with San Antonio. The six-foot, 211-pound forward has appeared in 134 AHL regular season games, all with San Antonio, recording 57 points (25-32—57) and 35 PIM.

The Richmond Hill, Ont. native, was selected by Florida in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2010 NHL Draft.